Tote Irish Cambridgeshire (Curragh) Preview & Betting Tips – Sunday 28th August 2016

Late Sunday sees the County Kildare track of The Curragh play host to one of the big handicaps of the Irish flat season as the Tote Irish Cambridgeshire takes centre stage on what is an excellent card.

Race Analysis

This competitive handicap has been landed by an Irish based horse in each of the past 10 years. It could well be an English-trained runner who goes off favourite this year however, as it is Brian Ellison’s Dream Walker who currently heads the betting. Following a prolonged spell in the doldrums, connections could have been forgiven for beginning to lose faith in this seven year old headed into the current season.

Whether it is the effect of two breathing operations or the reapplication of a tongue tie that has sparked him into life we can’t be sure, but whatever the case he has suddenly hit a rich vein of form, winning three of his four most recent starts. To defy a lifetime high mark at this stage in his career is a tall order but he is a four time winner at the distance and all of his nine career victories have come with some give underfoot.

JP Mcmanus is always a man to be feared in these high profile contests and he looks to have a likely sort here in the form of the David Wachman-trained Boherbuoy. This four year old by Galileo has proved to be a consistent sort at around this trip in his career to date, finishing in the first two in three of his four efforts to date. Whilst his style of running has often suggested he may be seen to best effect over further, that hasn’t really panned out in his two runs over 1m2f and beyond to date. The likely soft ground on Sunday should make this a thorough test at the mile trip which may well be just what he needs. With a recent comeback run at Galway likely to have blown away the cobwebs, he looks dangerous.

Betting Tips

The one we will take a chance on here is the Dermot Weld runner Sikandarabad. This three year old will be having just the third start of his career here and could well progress beyond an opening handicap mark of 96.

Being by sire Dr Fong, who did all of his winning at a mile and upwards, he was always likely to find the 6f of his two year old maiden contest too sharp and so it proved as he did no more than plod on into second. That proved to be his sole juvenile outing and he only recently returned to the track at Galway, where the 7f trip proved much more to his liking as he broke his duck at the second time of asking.

If anything, he looked in need of the run that day so in the circumstances did well to fend off a 93-rated rival, with the rest well strung out. The trainer was quoted in the aftermath of that race as saying it would either be a top handicap or a Listed contest next on the agenda for this promising sort. The fact that he takes the handicap route here suggests that his handler thinks that he may well be favourably treated and that could be a hint worth taking. At 14/1 with Sky Bet he looks a solid each way investment.